Ultraviolet Photolysis of H2S and its Implications for SH Radical Production in the Interstellar Medium

Jiami Zhou, Yarui Zhao, Christopher S Hansen, Jiayue Yang, Yao Chang, Yong Yu, Gongkui Cheng, Zhichao Chen, Zhigang He, Shengrui Yu, Hongbing Ding, Weiqing Zhang, Colin M Western, Michael N R Ashfold*, Kaijun Yuan*, Xueming Yang*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

47 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

Hydrogen sulfide radicals in the ground state, SH(X), and hydrogen disulfide molecules, H2S, are both detected in the interstellar medium, but the returned SH(X)/H2S abundance ratios imply a depletion of the former relative to that predicted by current models (which assume that photon absorption by H2S at energies below the ionization limit results in H + SH photoproducts). Here we report that translational spectroscopy measurements of the H atoms and S(1D) atoms formed by photolysis of jet-cooled H2S molecules at many wavelengths in the range 122 ≤ λ ≤155 nm offer a rationale for this apparent depletion; the quantum yield for forming SH(X) products, Γ, decreases from unity (at the longest excitation wavelengths) to zero at short wavelengths. Convoluting the wavelength dependences of Γ, the H2S parent absorption and the interstellar radiation field implies that only ~26% of photoexcitation events result in SH(X) products. The findings suggest a need to revise the relevant astrochemical models.
Original languageEnglish
Article number1547
Number of pages8
JournalNature Communications
Volume11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 24 Mar 2020

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